Apparatus for the scrubbing of gas



June 25, 1935- w. L. cHr-:WNING 2,006,295 1 APPARATUS FOR THE SCRUBBING OF GAS 1 Filed June 19, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet l N 33 g8 "5 1 dl. Hi; L 40- L 3 :a

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APPARATUS FOR THE SCRUBBING OF GAS Filed June'lQ, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 n 'l 70 n /M/f/vrof? y APPARATUS FOR THE SCRUBBING OF GAS Filed June 19, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 5` W/ Tf1/ESS Y M/VENTQR I ,www 4J/2. @Zw/hy @naam yhD-UQMK-- Arran/5V.

June 25, 1935. w. 1 CHEWNING 2,005,295

y APPARATUS FOR TH SCRUBBING' OF GAS F116@ June 19, 19:51 e sheets-'sheet 4 gym.

June 25, 1935' w. L.. CHEWNING 2,006,295

APPARATUS FOR THE SCRUBBING OF GAS Filed June 19, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 ff/ y Q. 34 I'. ma 1 B'rra/rwfx Patented June 1935 UNITED LsrAT-E'sf PATENT `oFFiciez*.j.

APPARATUS lFon 'ma SCRUBBING 0F 'GAS Walter L. .,Chewnng, Cynwyd, Pa., assigner to y, UnitedEngineers & Constructors Inc., Phila.-

delphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Appnation June 19, 1931, serial No. 545.469

.` '4 Claims. (ci. zel-9s) scrubbingof manufactured gas withA oil to remove naphthalene from the gas by absorption in the oil. The quantity of naphthalene in manufactured gas varies in accordance with the kind of gas manufactured andv in' accordancewith the particular methods of operation during manufac-v ture. However, the quantity of naphthalene contained is relatively-small. For instance, prior tor purification for naphthalene, the .naphthalene concentration in carburetted water gas maybe from 10 to 15 grains per 1'00 cubic feet ofr gas and' to reduce this concentration' to the desired extent, sayy to 3 grains orbelow, requires only from 40 to 60 gallons of oilper million'cubic feet of gas.

Securing efficient vcontact between 4the relatively 'large volume of gas and the relatively 'small volume of scrubbing oil'in a tower scrubber is somewhat dimcult; A plurality of sprays is re*- quired to secure proper distribution of he oil to the topjof the tower packing,' which may be grids,

trays, Raschig rings, or otherl well known ex- Y' pedients. ,y

The small quantity of oil passed per unit of time through each'spray requires spraysof small size, which in practice frequently stopup reducingthe. efficiency of the apparatus and per-v mittlng the gas to leave the scrubber insufllciently purified. A*

The principal object of the present invention is'to'provide an apparatus fory scrubbing whichl obvia tes'this ditllculty. c I

In general the method off-the present invention comprises passing the gas jto beftreated through a scrubber containing a packingl in counterflow relation to the scrubbing medium which .is continuously sprayed nto'the packing but which is sprayed` intermittently ontol diiferent portions thereof. r l u l To carry out this method I provide a scrubber with suitable packing such aswoodengrlds, trays, etc. having va gas inlet at its base and a gas outlet-in'lts upper portion, meansfor delivering the scrubbing medium continuously` to a distributor arranged to spray the scrubbing medium continuously onto the packing, but intermittently and periodically onto different yportionsof the packing. y' f j By supplying diiferent portions of the packing with the scrubbing medium intermittently, the quantity of scrubbing medium required for that 5 portion of the packing is` delivered' in arelativelyshort time as compared with spraying continuously ontothat portion of the packing and they spray deliveringthe scrubbing medium 'aswell as' the supply piping to the spray may be made suilil0 ciently large to greatly lessen dangers of stoppage,

delivery through lthe succeeding spray, togetherl 25 with meansto supply the scrubbing medium continuously to the distributing means. I'

Or I may distribute the scrubbing medlumby providing movable sprays which due to their motionjspray'intermittently and periodically onto 30r the different :portions of thev scrubber packing. Forinstancaif the scrubber is acylindrical tower the sprays may revolve continuously about the axis of the scrubber at varying distanccsffrom` the axis, or the motion may be reciprocating.' 35

` I may also combine the moving sprays with distributing means which feed the scrubbingme-'f d ium intermittently and periodically vtothe individual sprays. n i c vvIn any casejthe intermittenti'supply of g the 40 scrubbing medium to different portions ofthe packing permits a higher rate of supply through individual sprays and permits'lthe employment of larger sprays and piping with decreased dangerof stoppage. 'ihe continuous'supply'of scrub- 45 vertical cross section one form of scrubber arranged according to the present invention.

Figure 2 shows in vertical cross section a modincation of the scrubber of Figure 1, in which 'the scrubber is divided into two sections one superimposed on the other.

Figure 3 shows in partial elevation and partial vertical cross section a modiilcation ofthe scrubber of Figure 1, in which the scrubber is divided into two sections arranged side byside. I

Figure 4 shows in partial elevation partial vertical section one form of the distributing means which forms a part of this invention.

distributor of Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a plan view of the disk of the distributor of Figure 4.

Figure 7 shows in partial elevationand partial vertical cross section another form of dis-k tributor with moving sprays Yand intermittent the line 8 8 in Figure 7. 1

' Figurel 9 shows a horizontal cross section along the line ,9 8 in Figure '7.

.The ii'gures arevdescribed in connection with the use of the apparatus ofthe invention fori the purincati'on of `gas scrubbing with oil. Referring to Figure 1, Sigenerally indicates the scrubber, which is provided with packing asV from f naphthalene by for instance thegrids indicated at 82. 88 isthe gas inlet at the base of the scrubber and 84. is the gas outlet at its top. The scrubber is pro- "videdv with the distributor generally indicated at 85 for distributing the scrubbing oil succes nivel? to individual Vsprays I8 within the top ot the scrubber.

:Fresh scrubbing oil is supplied to the distribuf tor from the storage tank by means of the pump 38 and the line 38.

Fouled vscrubbing oil is removed from the basek l. oi the scrubber by pump 48.

The discharge line 4i iromthe pump goes to wasteor to means for revivifying the. fouled oil or to other dis- The particularjform oi distributor illustrated at y3i isdescribed in detail in vconnection with Figure .4. In general it operates tokteed oil continuously to ,the scrubber, but intermittently to each of afpluralityv of sprays within the scrubber, vconnecting one spray after another with the l oilsupply line and terminatingv the oil admis.-

sion to each spray asthe admission of `oil "to the next spray'is established.

The distributor illustrated is typical of means for supplying oil continuously to the scrubber packing when considered as a whole but intermittentlyto diierent portions oi scrubber pack'- ing', operating to successively wet successive portions of the packing. 'y

In operation of the scrubber, the gas to be purified enters at 33 and passes upward through thescrubber coming in contact with the packing surfaces which are wetted with the scrubbing oil, foil absorbing the naphthalene from the gas. The gas with its naphthalene content re- I duced to thedesired quantity passes oi! through the outlet 34. The pump 38 delivers the fresh scrubbing oil continuously to the distributor 85, which delivers the oil to one after another ofthe sprays 86, sothat fresh oil is continually supplied to the packing 32, but successive portions are intermittently drenched with the oil.

The spent oil with the increasing quantities of absorbed naphthalene drips downward through the packing, and collects in the base `of the scrubber from which it passes to waste or to means tent leaving portions of the packing insufilciently wetted.

l i For that reason I prefer to redistribute the oil Figure 5 shows a plan view of the base of the after it haspassed through a portion of the pack- Figure 2 illustrates one form of apparatus in which this redistribution is provided.

ranged in the upper portion'of the scrubber above `l the packing.

The scrubber is divided bythe transverse par-4 tition 5I, which is perforated to provide the gasv passage 52`which is provided withthe upstan'ding rim 53 and the hood 54. The rirn53 and the shellof the scrubber provide a basin for the collection oipartially fouledscrubbing .oil on the' 35 A partitionil.

Pumpy 55,k draws oil which collectsL above the Vpartitionand feeds it to distributor 58, which is i similar to distributor 48but whichv is provided withthe plurality of sprays 51, arranged ``vvithin` thescrubber below the partition 5I. l

Spent oil collecting inthe b a'se of the scrubber isv delivered by pump' 58 and line 58 towaste re-n viviflcation or other disposal.

In operation of the apparatus of Figureill gas to be puriiied enters vat 44 and ows4 upward'through 'the packing and across its wetted surfaces in counterfiow relation to the ow of the scrubbing oil, which absorbs naphthalene. fromv the gas. The gas passes through the partition `52 and under the hood 54 and resumes its upward passage through the packing, leaving the scrubber. through'r the outlet 45, with its naphthalene content yreduced to the desired extent.` .A ,y

Fresh oilis supplied continuously by pump 4 8 tothe distributor 4 6 which supplies the oil con- `tinuously to the top of the scrubber but intermittently-to theindividual sprays 50, drenching intermittently successive portions of the. packing.

The oil drips down through the packingin the upper portion of the scrubber and collects above the partition 5I. .From here itis removed by the Dumpv 55v and suppliedvto the distributor` 58 which redistributes it to the packing vin the lower.

portion of the scrubber .below the partition 5i, successively, drenching portions of .the packing below the partition and insuring the even distribution of the oil kthrough the lowerk portion of the Packing.

The spentoil collects in the baseoi the scrubber andzis removed by pump 58, through line 58 to waste, reviviilcation or other disposal.

Referring to Figure .3., This figure shows another arrangement of the apparatus of the inven-V tion to eiect a redistribution of the scrubbing oil after passing part way through the scrubber. -In

B I generally,.indicatesithescrubber, which is ith 'packingindicated at '02.

provided' asY before w gas` inlet,'64 .is the gas outlet. The

scrubber isv divided "vertically,v by partitions 60 and 65 into two packed sections, and with a gas passage 5 9 between them.

Fresh oilv is'V supplied 'from st 1| ,through line-12 to the distributor 13,` which supplies oilcontinuously to the top` of they packing in section 68 but intermittently and succes#- ys'ively to individual sprays 14 arranged above the packing, `d renching,intermittently successive portions vof the packing.y K

hase of section' and supplies it by line `1ifto thedistributor 11 which issimilar to distributor [packing in section 13 `and which continuously redistributes the oil to the top civ the packing in section 61 ,but intenu `mittenthf as to the individual sprays 10.

yine spent oil is removed from the base of sec? tion $1 by pump '19 and delivered through line 80 to waste, reviviflcetion'or other disposal.

The gas to bepuriiied'enters at 63 and passes up through the paekingin section di; down' vtl'lrough the gas passage 69 and up through the Naphthalene is progressively absorbed bythe oil from the gas asthe two pass in counterow relation throughthe two sec tions. The gas freed o iv napthalene to the de i 'sired extentpasses oi through. outletfiit.-

Referring to Figures e, 5 and 6. i indicates a reduction gear speed reducer, 2 is an enclosed explosion ,prooi motor, 3 is a flexible coupling between the motor and the reduction gear, t is the base of the distributor, it is the distributor housing, fi is the distributor disk. The distribw tor is driven by the slow speed shaft 'i of the reducing gear i. is a stuffing box between the shaft 1 and the housing E' provided with pack1 ing l indicates a packing or felt or other suitable material between the disk. ii and housing 5 and base i i is the oil inlet to the distributor supplying oil under pressure to the chamber i2 within the housing 5., The disk 6 is provided with an inner port I3 and an outer port i4 which register with the ports of an inner and cuter series of portsV in the base 4 as the disk revolves on shaft 1. The inner and outer ports of the base are staggered so that the inner port of the disk registers with an inner port of the base, then the outer port of the disk with an outer port oi the base and so on. The ports are arranged so that one port of the base is opened as another is closed and oil ows continuously from the chamber i2 through the oase but intermittently as to each port of the base and alternately as to`the ports of the disk. i5 indicates inner ports in the base while I1 indicates outer ports. In Figure port i3 ci' the disk is shown registered with port i5 of the base.

.A pipe yprovided with a spray head leads from each port in the base into the scrubber. The top of the scrubber is shown at i9. and 2i are pipes leading from inner ports, 22 and 23 are pipes leading from outer ports. Each pipe may be providedy with a cock as shown atv 24 and unions indicated at 25 to permit the pipe to be shut off and repaired or removed during operation.v Oil which is carried between the surfaces o! the disk and the base and which lubricates the suriaces is drained from small chambers through rage' 10 y vwith!) are shown for illustration-and are The'outerport or the disk is-prrerbly-sugnt;

1y larger than the inner port because o! lits greater linear velocity as the disk rotates. j

Referring to Figures 7, 8 andA 9'. These figures invention.

vided with a plurality o f annular' grooves-four indicated v'at 96, 91, 98 and 99. Each Vgroove is ted by fa corresponding oil inlet pipe as for instancepipes 100,' 10|,"i02 and 03.A Each inlet pipejis' provided with a valve as indicated at 104, 805,106 and |08 and 109 indicate stuffing boxes betweenthe shafted andthe sleeve '95. The shaft extends through the top of the scrubber indllcatedat I l0. Each'jgroove in the'sh'ait c onnects'witha oor-4v responding channel in the' shait, 'for instance with channel i l@ and groove @t witlichannel H4; Each 'channel is provided with van outlet pipe groovev el is ,shown provided with channel HL groove 99 with channel`-iil'groovee8 connects einen sus' .soreness which is ottieni with s spray s head, as for instance outlet tie provided with spray heed is connected to channel iii and through the channel to groove 'Si and oil inlet` wig' andv outlet ii'i; provided with spray head iidconneet'ed to channel it?, groove 99 and'oll inlet 'in iike manner outlet its is connected to channel iid., iii indicates a stumn'g box between the shaft and the' scrubber top.

The shait dit' is provided with t e gear whichdrives the larger gear 4523, thegear ratio for example may he one to four; f`

The gear it@ is provided with the com 524, which as the gear l2@ rotates, engages and oper ates the valve iM, 905,101 and to@ successively, as these valves are arranged in the path of the cam. l f

In operation the motor 92 drives the shaft 94 through the coupling 93 and the reduction gear di, rotating the shaft and the outlet pipes and their sprays within the scrubber. The gear E22 revolves with the shaft 94; driving the cam gear 23. The cam engages and operates the valves successively and admits oil successively through oil inlet in the'sl-eeve, groove and channel in the shaft to the individual outlet pipe and spray,

which sprays oil into the scrubber as the shaft and spray revolve aslong as the cam engages the valve. es the cam disengages one valve that valve shuts off and the earn engages the nextVv admitting oil through another spray and so on. With a gear ratio between gears 22 and |23 of i to e, the shaft 4 revolves 4 times ,while gear i23 revolves once. A sprayis supplied with oil during, for instance, the ilrst quarter of one revolution, the second quarter ci the second revolution, the third duarter of the third revolution and the foumh quarter of the fourth revolution.

Gil is supplied continuously to the holder but intermittently as to individual sprays and as to individual portions of the scrubber packing which is arranged beneath the sprays, drenching individual portions ot the packing intermittently.

In Figures 7 and 8 for instance cam 124 has opened valve 01 and oil is passing through inlet w3, groove B9, channel H2, outlet H1 and spray H0 into the scrubber.` f

The outlet pipes are or varying lengths so that mylnvention save'as-,the scope of the the lindividual sprays sweep paths oidii'i'erent radii. 4Sufilcientsprays are provided .to

i portionsfof the'top of the scrubber packinglf Another modification consists in u* um', tributar oi ktile ,typ shown in Figs'. 7 and 8 by n locating the vstatiluialy pipes II'II. Ilfifgllp! 'lli so that they lead f directly into; thoitop OLth'U"Av scrubberin the'saxne 'wayias the'pipepin l'i'g.' 1. j f The pipeslil.V lill, |92 andNLin-'such'a modl- .l

flcation, terminate: in sprays or spra'yheads simi,-

lar to sprays. UQ 18,. or Hs and.- I il."

The apparatus provides for' aV contlnlmll oi?V oil to the scrubber with vthafinternlitte'nt drenchi'ng of successive 1 portions, off the scrubber Q liiiwkinll...` I do not intend'V to be limitedin the practiceoi prior art and of the attached claims Amay require. Iclaim: c. ,t LvApparatus for scrubbing gas with a liquid includinga scrubber having'gas inlet and outlet means therein, a plurality of liquid supplymeans,

` a plurality oi rotatable liquid inlet means to said scrubber receiving liquid from said supply. means,

means inl each` of said suppLv means for control-` ling the iiowl of liquid therethrough, and means for intermittently opening and closing said means forv controlling` the ow o! liquid throughl the` supply means.

2. Apparatus for scrubbing` gas with` a liquid including a scrubber, ga's inlet means near the base oi said scrubber, gas outlet means near the wp pf said scrubber, a. plurality of liquid supply` means, a plurality of rotatable sprays for introducing liquid to the upper portion of said scrubber, a valve in each of lsaid liquid supply means. a cam for intermittentlyopening and closing selected ones of lsaid valves'so that liquid is intrea,ooo,aao f andfmeans for removing spent liquid from the lover. portion. said scrubber.

s. y Appu'rutus :pr pulubiiiug gaswiiniiqiudf iu-` cludlng ascrubber, gas inlet' means adjacent thev of said scrubber. sssoutlet adiaf wd mabber; liquid .supply means to certain ones of said inlet means sotliat yiiuuid lp lurm'ittentlysupplied tp' portions 'or said withdrawing A liquidrkfrom said reservoir and 'sup- "for-nid u plumiitypr liquid imetuiesm @thauivnermrtwn 0f Said fsrubbr.f tor; continuously. suplllyins liquid. mm zslid Supply scnlbber. a reservoir-for coueeti'ng liquid inter.- t v mediate oisaid'scrubber, a plurality oi' liquid inlet f means iorintroducing liquidy to said scrubber 'be-g' neath said reservoir,` for, continuouslyA plying it to certain ones 0f said' second mentioned A Y inlet means so that liquid is intermittently sup- 1 plied'to portions `of the Vlower.'v part of said scrubber. and means iorvwithdrawing spent liquid from the lower portion of said scrubber.

4. Apparatus nuV 'scmbbing pas `with' f liquid, which apparatuscomprises:A ascrubber having Agas inlet-and gas'outiet means therein, landv liquid `supply Imeans for vcontinuously supplying liquid under pressure to. said scrubber, said .liquid sup- ,v ply means comprising, a. source o! liquidga lpump for applying Pressure -to liquid fromsaid source, a distributor connected to said pump, a'plurality o! liquid inlet means in saidscrubber ea'ch connected w said distributor, distribution means in' said distributor and having a plurality oi `ope`n' ings therein `so that communication is continuously open between said pumpland at kleast one of said liquid inlet means, and -a continuously lrotating motor operating said distribution means continuously. Y

f L. CHEWNINGK duced intermittently to partslof said scrubber," 

